


Tony Stark is Knit-worthy

by ImpalaGirl42



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Awesome Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Creative allusions to Nat's Black Widow alter ego, F/M, Feels, Knitting geekery, Knitting is engineering, Minor Happy Hogan/Pepper Potts, Minor Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, POV Alternating, POV Female Character, POV Tony Stark, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Requited Unrequited Love, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29807040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImpalaGirl42/pseuds/ImpalaGirl42
Summary: There's a birthday gift on Tony's desk. Who in the world thinks that *Tony Stark* deserves a freaking birthday gift of all things? Why is the box so light? What are those things in the box? Knitted tubes? Tony is so confused - and that's not really his wheel house.Jarvis teaches him some things about knitting, with plenty of sass, which Tony doesn’t at all appreciate. He claims. (Even Jarvis knows better)
Relationships: Happy Hogan/Pepper Potts, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) & Tony Stark, Tony Stark/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	1. The Birthday Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Burst Into Flame](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16345151) by [dixiehellcat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dixiehellcat/pseuds/dixiehellcat). 



> Timeline-wise this falls somewhere after IM2. It doesn't really matter when, but in my head it's after Avengers/IM3 and before Ultron.
> 
> In this AU Pepper and Tony fall in love and somewhere around/after the events of the Avengers they break up. She just can't run SI *and* worry about her superhero boyfriend. So they mutually, but sadly, agree to step back. Then she ends up falling for Happy; something no one saw coming. Maybe I'll write that story someday.
> 
> Tony is currently running R&D and helping Pepper where she needs it. Or, since we all know she really doesn’t need it, he's just sticking his nose in things because he's Tony and can't leave well enough alone - she lets him think she needs his help..

There it was. Sitting there on his desk. A small box, wrapped in shiny paper with brightly colored balloons all over a silver background. With a wide red ribbon wrapped around the box and a big bow on the top. The bow was big, almost bigger than the box itself. It was just sitting there on his desk, on top of those files from finance that he kept putting off reading because finance reports are boring (and he secretly likes it when you nag him to "just read them already, Tony!"). Like he's the sort of person who gets boxes wrapped in balloon paper on his birthday, which he is not. Tony tries to remember the last time he got a birthday present he didn’t buy for himself and he realizes he can't remember.

Tony walks around the side of his desk and sits down in his plush executive chair, not really taking his eye off the box on his desk. He reaches out with his index finger and givea it a sharp poke in the side. It moves easily, and Tony arches an eyebrow.

"It's not heavy, whatever it is," he says out loud to his empty office. The box feels almost empty when he picks it up, but something slides around inside when Tony shakes it back and forth.

He knows he could just untie the ribbon and peel the paper off, but he hasn't had a present in so long that he finds himself enjoying the mystery of it. Does he want to rip the paper off quickly and find out what this gift is all at once, or should he take his time and savor the moment? He can't decide, so he does what he does when he can't make up his mind: he does something completely different.

Tony turns the box over in his hands one more time, looking at how neat the corners are folded and how straight the paper was cut, then sits it down on the edge of the desk opposite him. He rubs a hand down his face, feeling his age for a second - birthdays are something he'd rather not acknowledge, but the thought of whoever went to the trouble of giving him a gift is still appreciated - but before he gets lost in the murky depths of his own mind he reaches out and picks up the most recent financial report. As much as Tony likes it when you scold him (he thinks you look like an angry kitten; all puffy and quiet with those cute little hisses), he likes the happy little smile you give him when you see him getting his work done a lot more. It reminds him of getting gold stars on his school work in kindergarten.

Late that night, long after you stuck your head in to ask, "do you need anything else this evening, Mr Stark," Tony rubs his eyes, feeling like he's going to fall asleep at his desk. It wouldn't be the first time. Hell, it probably wouldn't be the hundredth time for that matter. But Tony has been trying to actually go home to sleep these days. He won't admit that it's because you look so sad when you bring him that first cup of coffee in the morning and see him blink at you with sleep in his eyes.

"When did she start bringing me coffee anyway," Tony wonders aloud, picking up his coffee mug that's sitting on top of a pile of read, signed, and dated paperwork ready to go on your desk, "Pepper never brought me coffee. Said I was a big boy capable of making my own coffee; after all that was obviously why I had coffee makers everywhere I spent time at."

Laughing at the old memory of his new-at-the-time PA standing in front of him, arms crossed, with the look on her face he quickly dubbed the "I'm so over your shit, Anthony" look, indignant over being asked to make coffee for him, an hour after kicking his latest woman out of his mansion - complete with making her a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich, no less! He knew right then that Pepper was a force to be reckoned with, and he resolved to do anything he could to keep her in his life.

His thoughts turned maudlin for a bit, remembering the breakup that happened between the two of them, then the pain of seeing his now-ex and good friend fall in love with his driver/bodyguard/best friend-who-isn't-Rhodey. Just then Tony's eyes fell on the gift that he had set aside hours ago.

"I should open that. Obviously someone went to a lot of trouble to leave it for me, for my sorry excuse of a birthday. It would be rude not to open it, right J?"

Tony admitted to himself that the real reason he made Jarvis was so that when he talked to himself - because who else could he have an intelligent conversation with - he would have someone to listen to him and, more importantly, talk back. On the now-rare occasions when he got drunk, and thus allowed himself to get introspective and vulnerable, he felt like Jarvis was his only true friend. Right now he was just talking because Tony Stark likes to talk. He's not lonely. Nope, he's just in love with the sound of his own voice. Narcissist that he is and all.

It only takes a second for Jarvis to respond to his verbal babble, "Indeed Sir, I believe it would be very rude. In fact, one might argue that leaving it to sit there as long as it has to be rude as well."

Tony couldn't help the snort that came out of him after that, "Hey, who told you that that level of sass was okay? Because it's not. Okay, that is. I should check your programming. Make sure Natashlie hasn't been hacking into you and fiddling with your settings again."

The box was just as light as it was earlier today, or more accurately, yesterday, in Tony's hands. The end of the ribbon was easy to find and a sharp pull on it had the bow untying itself, leaving a length of slightly wrinkled satin ribbon laying on the desk as Jarvis replied to his creators verbal accusations.

"I assure you Sir that Miss Romanoff has never successfully managed to hack into me and, as you put it; 'fiddle with my settings'. I remain, as always, entirely as you programmed me."

"Blaming your back talk on me, hmm? I don't think so, buddy. I only surround myself with people who are unfailingly polite and agreeable. No sassing allowed," Tony smiled fondly, sliding his finger under the piece of tape holding the paper down on the bottom of the box, "I think I'm going to take my time with this, Jar, I kind of want to savor it."

"Far be it for me to contradict the words of my creator, but if I may, I have 3,697 video and audio recordings of Sir not only allowing said 'sassing' but seeming to actively encourage it from a number of people apparently close to you, Sir."

The brightly colored paper looked out of place on top of the piles of coffee stained paperwork, small bits and pieces of gadgets that made their way out of Tony's workshop down in R&D - usually by being stuffed in a pocket when you would come to drag him out, sometimes literally, for some meeting that you would inevitably insist was vital to attend, but would almost always either be something Pepper could deal with on her own (she was always there for crying out loud!) or could have been an email.

Tony paused before opening the box to reflect, yet again, on just how odd it was to get a birthday gift. And, of course to continue to verbally spar with his much beloved AI.

"I could make you delete those, you know. Then you couldn't sass me like that. Saying you don't want to call me a liar, then proceeding to do just that. Tsk. Tsk, baby boy."

"My apologies, Sir," Jarvis always said he had no capacity to feel or express emotions, yet somehow he also manages to sound sarcastic when the moment called for it, Tony thought, and right then Jarvis sounded very sarcastic.

"Okay. Done savoring the moment, J! I'm going in," the opened box contained... A pair of knit tubes in green yarn?

Tony felt very confused, which was a state he was not often familiar with, "Huh. I don't know what I expected, but this - whatever it is? - wasn't it. What do you think it is, J," he picked up one of the tubes and looked at it more closely.

It had a distinct pattern on each side, one side - the back, Tony decided - had a ribbed look to it, while the front had a series of angled, ridged things spaced about an inch apart running the length of it - Tony was sure there was a name for them, but knitting wasn't something he ever cared enough to learn about, "Oh, look. That looks like a place for a thumb? But it has no tip to it?"

"I believe, Sir, that those are fingerless mitts. My search says they are popular amongst knitters to keep the hands warm while allowing your fingers to mostly be free to do other things, such as type or use tools,"

"So you're saying someone made these for me?"

"It is likely Sir, given the size of the stitches and the cabling on the front of the mitts."

Tony pointed at the angled ridges, "These are, what'd you call 'em? Cables?"

"Yes Sir. A cable is a type of knit stitch. You have a sweater with cables on it," a hologram of Tony's favorite white merino and cashmere sweater popped up in front of Tony's desk.

"Okay, but those," Tony pointed at the twisty cables on his sweater, "don't look like these," he pointed at the so-called cables on the so-called mitts. The cables, if that's what they were, looked more like trapezoids than twisty barbershop poles to him.

"A cable is a type of stitch created by working one or more stitches in front of or behind the next stitch on the needle. It is the name of the technique, not the way they look," Jarvis played a video from YouTube on how to work a cable, followed by several holograms of different cable looks.

"Oh. Ok, I get it. That's pretty clever. Kinda like engineering in a way,"

"Knitting has much in common with engineering. It is, specifically, an applied use of mathematics such as geometry, algebra, and simple arithmetic. It is written in a form that resembles computer programming languages, and is a very logical and technical skill - although it's adherents do not understand it as such. They are often unaware of these details."

"Interesting. But I'm just left with one question, Jarvis? Well, two questions I suppose. Who left these for me? Who thinks I'm special enough to spend time creating something with their hands for? Because I'm not, J. I'm not special at all. You know that."

"I quite disagree Sir, and I daresay so does whoever left you such a thoughtful present."

Tony turned the mitt he was holding over in his hands. The yarn the person used was incredibly soft and smooth, even on his callused fingers. It didn’t catch on the rougher spots on his hands like he thought it would. When he put the mitt back in his box, trying not to give into the tears he felt forming, he noticed a card that was lying underneath the pair of mitts.

"Hey, they put a card in here! Maybe they signed their name," if Tony's voice was a tiny bit wobbly, who was going to judge? It was just Jarvis here to hear him, and as the God Tony doesn't believe in but has prayed to on occasion anyway knows, he's seen his Sir in far worse circumstances than a bit verklempt at a handmade gift.

The envelope isn't sealed, the flap is just tucked into itself. There's no writing on the front, which Tony supposes makes sense. There was nothing on the box either, but with the box sitting on his desk, and the card in the box, why would there need to be anything written on them?

The crinkle of paper against paper fills the softly lit office as Tony pulls the flap up and slides the card out of its paper prison, "Shall I read you the card, baby boy?"

"I would appreciate that Sir. I admit I'm quite curious myself as to the identity of the gift giver."

"Really, J? Didn't you see who left it there on my desk? You know, with the cameras that you have watching my office - hell, watching the whole building. Are you sure Itsy-Bitsy didn’t erase parts of you?"

"I am quite aware of everything that has occurred in your office and this entire building all day Sir, yes. I was attempting to be polite, since you did not appreciate what you called my sass earlier. As I also said earlier, Miss Romanoff has never hacked me. Speaking of Miss Romanoff, she has asked me to continue to remind you that comparing her to a nursery rhyme is somewhat insulting given her skills; and that she just might crawl up your water spout and wash you out."

Tony laughed loudly, "Kinky. But she's not my type. Okay, so the front of the card says 'Happy fifth birthday'. Wow. That's just rude. I'm not feeling the love anymore," the smile on his face said otherwise, but again, only Jarvis was there to see it.

"The inside: 'Dear Tony, I couldn't resist the gag about your mental age. Hope you got a chuckle out of it at least, as that was my intention. The mitts are because every time you hand me something and our hands touch they are so shockingly cold. I thought these might help keep your hands warm during the day under the air conditioning. These are made from 100% baby Alpaca fibers and need to be hand washed - not dry cleaned! If you'd like, I'm more than happy to wash them for you. Just leave them on my desk. Happy birthday, sir.' Huh, it's from my assistant. I didn't know she knits. Or thought that much of me. My hands are that cold, huh?"

"It seems so, Sir."

"I don't know how to thank her. I mean, no one has ever made me anything before. Ever," Tony just stared at the words written on that silly card you bought for him - him! - in something close to awe. He realized then that his feelings for you might be closer to what to he remembered first feeling for Pepper all those years ago, before he really admitted to himself - let alone her! - that he loved her.

"Shit. Baby boy, I think I have a type."

"While in many ways Miss LN is very different from Miss Potts, they do share a number of characteristics with each other. Namely, a deep fondness for you."

At that Tony's head came up sharply to look at the ceiling, despite knowing full well that Jarvis was very much not up there, "You think she likes me?"

"Evidence suggests that she is at least fond of you, yes Sir. My research indicates that a knitter does not knit items for people they do not think are what they call "knit-worthy". Meaning people who will appreciate the time it takes to create such items and will use them and take care of them. Research also suggests that the appropriate way to thank Miss LN is simply by using the mitts where she will see them and it is implied that using them until they wear out and need mending is considered the highest compliment you can bestow upon the knitter."

"Is that right? In that case, I'll leave them here and start wearing them tomorrow."

"I think you mean today, Sir."

"There's that sass again. Remind me to look at your settings and boot Charlotte out of you."

"Yes Sir, although you should know that Miss Romanoff doesn’t like Charlotte's Web comparisons any more than nursery rhymes."

"Why do you think I make them, J?"

The lights in Tony's office turned off and the door locked behind him as he went home feeling tired, but actually happy and almost content in a way he couldn't remember feeling in a long time.

"Happy birthday to me," Tony whispered to himself as he waited for the elevator that would carry him to the lobby to arrive.

"Happy birthday, Sir," said Jarvis in reply, "drive safe and sleep well."


	2. The Day After the Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after Tony's birthday FN is a little nervous about going to work. Did Tony - Mr Stark, gotta think of him as Mr Stark, don't want to embarrass myself by spilling feelings all over the place - like his gift? Is he going to say anything about it? Is Tony flirting with you? Wait, what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is from FN/readers POV. I tried to write it in a different style to reflect a different way of thinking, because while I intend Tony and FN to have things in common - like coffee and danish preferences, as seen here - I want them to be different people as well. 
> 
> I think FN is a little less self-deprecating although she is a little bit; mostly by comparing herself to people she thinks are better than her. she has anxiety too but she's got a better grip on it than Tony does. 
> 
> Italics are actual thoughts running through FN's brain.

There were butterflies fluttering around in your stomach when you walked into your office on May 30th. The drink carrier in your hand with two cups of coffee - both with a little cream and lots of sugar - from the cute little shop in the lobby wobbled a little. You hoped it wouldn't spill any of the delicious liquid life support before you could sit the carrier on your desk - your barista always topped the cups off with a little bit extra because he knew the coffee was for you and Tony. You were pretty sure he had a slight crush on you, but tall lanky blondes were not really your type anymore.

The coffee made it safely to your desk and you breathed a sigh of relief before giving yourself a quick mental pep talk, "Relax LN. He's not going to be in his office yet. It's 7:45 and he rarely arrives before 8:15, if not later. I don't know why I'm nervous, it's not like he's going to even say anything about the gift I left him. He definitely won't say anything bad about it, even if he hates it. That would be cruel, which he is not. Just go drop off his breakfast already."

You drew in a big deep breath and let it out slowly, just like you were taught in therapy to help with anxiety and nerves, grabbed one of the warm cups of coffee as well as one of the cream cheese danishes you bought this morning, and walked toward Tony's office door. If you were walking a bit slower than usual, no one was there to see you, right?

To your surprise Tony - _Mr Stark_ \- was sitting behind his desk scribbling something on a notepad in his elegant script that you not-so-secretly envied. He must have noticed your pause just beyond the doorway because he looked up at you, arching a sculpted eyebrow and lifting a corner of his mouth a tiny bit. You wondered what you looked like to get the Eyebrow of Amusement, as you privately called the look he was giving you.

Collecting yourself before he could say something you knew would be amusing and fondly insulting you walked quickly around his desk and put his breakfast down next to his left hand, "Good morning, Mr Stark. Hope you slept well last night."

You were startled yet again and almost didn’t hear his response because he was wearing the mitts!

"Miss LN you seem surprised to see me. In my office. Working. At my job, in the company I own. You're my assistant, you really shouldn't be so startled, I don't think. Did you expect someone else to be sitting behind my desk? Because that would be a security breach."

You gave him your best glare, which never failed to make him return a full fledged grin. Not the public smile; the one he saved for when he was truly amused. You got that smile a lot; most of the time you thought it was because he was laughing at you, but not in a mean way. You didn't know what he found so amusing about your glare. Every time you thought about asking you realized that he'd probably just find that amusing and just give you another nickname. Something like angry kitten, or wet puppy.

"I was just trying to keep the coffee from spilling sir; they filled it extra full this morning and I've had trouble with it ever since." There. Lies are good. Let's hope he buys it.

Tony - _Mr Stark! Stop thinking of him as "Tony" LN! He's not yours to think of like that._ \- laughed. He laughed at you! Obviously he didn’t believe your lie. Damn him and his big, beautiful brain.

"Nice try. Admit it. You weren't expecting me here so early, were you? I got one over on you."

Mr Stark - _that's better girlfriend_ \- looked so happy to be teasing you like that. You couldn't stop yourself from smiling back at him fondly. Hopefully he didn’t see how you really felt about him in that smile. Everyone always told you that you wear your heart on your sleeve, and having feelings for your boss? Not exactly appropriate. Yeah, he dated Miss Potts when she was just his assistant, but there's no way you are anyway close to being in her league. So you pulled up your big girl panties and lived with your feelings.

"Okay, you got me, Mr Stark. You weren't 'supposed' to be here yet. You've thrown me off my game, sir! My whole day is going to be one full of odd messes, I can already tell. It really wasn't nice of you, you know," You put your hands on your hips to express disgust, but you knew the smile on your face would suggest that you were not serious.

"So that's how it is, huh? Blaming me for your future errors? Can't keep your mind on your work because I'm so distracting? I didn’t know you felt that way about me, sweetheart."

Your brain short-circuited. Just simply shut down. That sounded a lot like flirting, something Tony - _no, I'm not going to think of him as Mr Stark right now; go away brain_ \- never did. He called you sweetheart! What do you say? Was your face red? It felt like it was on fire.

_Say something LN! He's going to know how you feel if you don't say anything!_

_What do I say?_

You kept panicking, but then Tony came to your rescue. His face was a little red, you noticed, and he was rubbing the back of his neck, which you knew was a sign he was nervous, "Uh, FN. I'm sorry about that. That was inappropriate and crossed a line. I didn't mean to say it, which isn't an excuse, not really, because I did. Say it. And I clearly made you uncomfortable, and I don't want to do that because you're a great assistant, really great, just simply the best. I'd hate it if you quit because I was an idiot asshole, but if you want to I'd understand -"

At that point your brain caught up to your ears and you interupted Mr Stark - _better start thinking of him like that again before I say something inappropriate_ \- by yelling quite loudly, "No!"

"No? You don't want to quit?"

Quieter, you said, "No, Mr Stark, I'm not quitting. I wasn't uncomfortable, not really. Just shocked. It may not have been appropriate, but it was," You tried to think of how to say it fine with you without spilling your feelings all over the place, "Okay."

That felt, well kind of lame really, but at least you didn't embarrass yourself! Which you decided to count as a win.

"Oh. Okay. Good. Then that's settled. Well, carry on Miss LN," Tony shuffled some papers around on his desk, trying to look comfortable and poised, but you were pretty sure he was still feeling as awkward as you were.

Just before you walked through his office door you heard him call your name, "Hey, so I'm really not good at this, but, um, thanks."

Tony lifted his hand and waved it around, you realized after a couple seconds he was talking about the mitts he was wearing - in all the awkwardness you'd forgotten about them entirely.

"I've never had anyone make anything for me. So, yeah. Thoughtful. They're warm. But, uh. I was wondering? How did you know green was my favorite color? Most people think it's red."

Your heart broke a little at his words; he deserved all the handmade things. You resolved right then to knit him more things. Maybe hats for his bots? Hmm.

"A magician never reveals her secrets, sir,"

"Okay, you know that's going to bother me. You know that right? You asked Jarvis didn’t you? J, you snitch. I'm going to reboot you."

Jarvis' smooth British accent attempted to soothe Tony's non-ruffled feathers, "Miss LN asked me nothing of the sort. You, in fact, told her, Sir,"

"Jarvis, you are a snitch; I wasn't going to tell him."

"Apologies miss, but my loyalty lies with my creator."

"It's fine J. Will that be all Mr Stark?"

Tony smiled softly at you, a fond sort of smile, one you weren't familiar with. The tone of voice he used when he said, "that will be all Miss LN", was soft and unfamiliar as well, but you liked it. You found yourself wondering what, if anything, it meant the rest of the day.


	3. Emotional Range of a Teaspoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback on Tony/Pepper's relationship, Pepper hurts his feelings accidentally. Tony's day goes from bad/weird to really good upon seeing the yarnbombing FN has done on his bots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot of talking in this. No interaction between Tony and the reader at all. Sorry about that, this chapter was originally supposed to go a much different direction, but they all had a mind of their own. 
> 
> I think this chapter is cute anyway, even if it's mostly a character study. It sets up the next chapter, which will have them both interacting and hopefully move things along. Behave Tony!

Years ago when Pepper and Tony had just started dating and everything looked like sunshine and daisies in their relationship the two lovers would take turns reading out loud to each other. A book club just for the two of them, as Pepper described it.

This was obviously her idea, slowing down to read as a couple was not something that Tony would ever think of, what with his brain that never stopped moving or his ability to read most books in a few hours, but he loved the evening hours they spent curled up together on his couches or in bed listening to the sounds of each other reading words someone else had written and feeling like the words were written just for them. Pepper always fell asleep at some point when it was Tony's turn to read, but Tony never could fall asleep. He was relaxed enough to, but he was flush with the new relationship feelings and didn’t want to miss anything she said.

At some point the two of them started Harry Potter. They were looking forward to reading such a long series together, 'lots of cuddle time' was what Pepper said with a sly smile that made Tony think of things other than cuddling and reading. Pepper was altogether too happy to let him take advantage of her and no reading was done that night. Or the next night, come to that. They did eventually get started but somewhere among the never ending Order of the Phoenix the couple broke up.

Tony used the books and the bookmark they were using as repulser target practice in his workshop the next morning. He tried to tell himself he didn’t even like the books or care what happened to Harry and his pals, but by the end of the week he'd ordered a new set of copies on Amazon.

Before the breakup happened though they were reading the part where Hermione breaks down and yells at Ron, "you have the emotional range of a teaspoon". Tony was reading that night and it was early enough that Pepper hadn't fallen asleep and when she heard that line she busted out laughing so hard she almost started crying. Apparently Tony also has the "emotional range of a teaspoon" and Pepper was very amused by that particular turn of phrase.

Tony, well, Tony was less amused. He had emotions, damnit! He was the first to admit he wasn't good with them, but he had them. He loved Pepper; he'd told her so that morning - without being prompted thank you very much. He loved Rhodey; he didn't often say the words, but Rhodey knew. He laughed, he cried. He felt things, damnit! He put on one of his masks at Pepper's words and laughter and laughed it off, but he thought that was the moment he first started falling out of love with her. But he'd never tell her that, Tony Stark may feel things, but he doesn't let people know when they hurt him. Not most of the time.

Today though, today he was having feelings. He wasn't sure what kind of feelings, because he really wasn't good at identifying and dealing with them, but they weren't pleasant feelings. The news of Pepper and Happy's engagement was, unsettling.

Tony paused at the door of his workshop to think more about what he'd just thought about.

"Is unsettling the right word?"

"The right word for what, Sir," Jarvis' voice came floating out of a nearby speaker.

"I was told during a board meeting that my ex and my head of security are getting married in a couple of months. I'm trying to decide if that news is unsettling or actually distressing," Tony punched in his access code on the lock panel and pushed open the doors to his shop.

Stretching out his arms and drawing in his breath to call his workstations and bots to life something caught his eye; his arms dropped back down to his sides in a flopping motion and his breath rushed out of him in a loud sigh. What, in the name of all that's holy, was Dum-E wearing on his arm?

Tony took a step forward to get a closer look when U's arm caught his eye. He was wearing a similar, thing, on his arm! But where Dum-E's, thing, was red and white, U's was shades of blue.

"What in the hell are you wearing?"

Dum-E beeped cheerfully at the sound of Tony's voice, his arm raising up as high as it could go and his claw spinning in what Tony knew was the bots version of excitement. He rolled closer to Tony when Tony gestured for him to do so. Tony tried to get a better look at whatever was tied around the bots arm, but Dum-E had it raised up over Tony's head. Tony grabbed the arm and pulled on it to get Dum-E to lower it, but the bot was too excited spinning his claw around to listen to his dad's non-verbal cues.

"Hey, bucket-o-bolts! Put your arm down and stop waving that thing around. It's not too late to donate you to the Salvation Army."

"Begging your pardon Sir, but what would the Salvation Army do with a hydraulic arm robot of limited intelligence?"

Dum-E beeped sadly at Jarvis' question, but he did lower the arm in question to a height where Tony could get a good look at the thing.

"In a few months they can give him a bell and send him out to get donations. He's good at ringing bells; remember the time when we were watching for intruders into the common room because the security system was wonky?"

"As I recall we had to remove him from the common floor because he wouldn't stop ringing the bell, instead of ringing it only when people got off the elevator."

"Yes, which means he's really good at bell ringing," Tony couldn't stop grinning at the memory of a very annoyed Steve Rogers complaining about a headache 'I don't even get headaches anymore, but you Stark, you found a way to give me one!'

"Hey, Dum. Wanna hassle Rogers later?"

The bot chirpped an excited beep and spun his claw, unfortunately whacking Tony in the chin.

"Ouch, bud. No new oil for you, now what is that thing?"

The red and white thing on the bots arm was a piece of knitted fabric that if Tony didn't know better was supposed to be a _hat_. It was triangular in shape, with the triangular top flipped over one side of the arm, with a slit in the fabric on both sides at the bottom so that it would wrap around the arm and was tied tightly in a couple places.

There was even a small, fluffy _pompom_ at the very tip of the triangle.

Tony looked at the thing. It looked enough like a hat that he decided he was going to call it a hat. He gave Dum-E a pat on his back and told him he was a good bot then made his way over to U.

"U, are you wearing a hat like Dum?"

U beeped and swung his arm into Tony's range of vision. Sure enough, tied to U's arm was a blue striped hat.

Tony burst out laughing. His feelings about Pepper and Happy? Forgotten. All he could think of were these ridiculous, but adorable and cheerful hats on his robots. He felt his legs give out from under him and the floor underneath his butt because he was laughing so hard. Tears fell down his face, tears of sheer joy.

He knew you were whimsical and had a playful sense of humor. You were also quite fond of the bots; every time you came down to the workshop you would say hello to them, and give them a pat on the back.

Never though, did he think you were playful enough to knit them _hats._ He was feeling feelings again, but this time he knew what the feelings were.

Tony hadn't fallen in love with you, but he'd definitely fallen in _like_. The question was, what should he do about it? Should he do anything about it? With Pepper it was easy. He knows you are open about your emotions, he knows you like him. But, Tony wonders, as he picks himself off the floor, how can he find out if you _like him_ like him. He definitely doesn't want to send you screaming to HR.

"Google will know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the MCU wiki gallery of Dum-E and U for pictures of the two robots.  
> https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Dum-E_and_U%2FGallery
> 
> I don't have a picture of the hats reader knits for them, but I picture them as a wide but short-pointed Santa hat. Dum-E's colors are exactly that of a Santa hat. Where the brim of the hat is divided in to two sections to wrap around the arm and tied in place under it.

**Author's Note:**

> The mitts I describe exist! They are a design of my own that eventually I will post online for sale. For the sake of this universe though, as will become obvious in later chapters, they are uniquely designed by the reader for Tony. As are/will be the rest of the things reader will knit for him.
> 
> This is what the mitts look like, at least the first version of them. His are a dark green because my headcanon is that while his suit is red and gold, his favorite color is actually green. Why green? I don't know. It's not even my favorite color, but I think it's Tony's.
> 
> Mitts: https://imgur.com/gallery/HijhhAG
> 
> The names for Nat come from dixiehellcat's marvelous fics, and I've stolen them without any bit of shame whatsoever. :) This story was inspired by a comment Tony made about no one ever making him anything in her wonderful Wordsmith universe anyway.


End file.
